Coffee Shops and Zombies
by Theo Telshalla-Arieda Gardner
Summary: No-Zombie AU After a fight with Joel, Ellie sulks in a coffee shop and hits it off with a random girl named Riley. A conversation blossoms, ranging from school mascots to video games to alternate post-apocalyptic universes.


The cafe buzzed with life - mostly of sleep deprived high school seniors struggling to finish last minute papers and study for 'pop' quizzes they'd heard about from friends.

Ellie plopped down into a random booth next to the window, not noticing the books and papers already strewn about on the table. She buried her head in her hands and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath.

"Hey. Long day or something?"

Ellie looked up to find another girl standing over her with two coffees in hand. She scoffed. "Yeah, something like that."

The girl smiled and sat down across from her. Ellie straightened to finally take notice to the things on the table.

"Oh," Elle said with sudden realization, "Sorry for taking over your table. I didn't see."

"It's fine." The girl pushed one of the coffees to her. "They were both going to be for me, but the circles under your eyes are literally turning purple."  
Ellie accepted it gratefully. "Thanks. I'm Ellie."

"Riley. Go to Firefly Academy. You?"

"Southwest High...What's Firefly Academy?"

Riley shrugged. "It's the rich private school across town. Well, the official name is Sandover Academy, but the mascot is this huge firefly...so I guess the name just stuck."

Ellie laughed. "Your mascot is a _firefly?"_

"Hey, don't diss the firefly."

This only made Ellie double over in laughter. "I mean...who just looked at a school...and though... 'Hey, why don't we make our mascot an _insect?_'"

"Oh yeah?" Riley grinned. "What's your mascot, Southwest girl?"

"Um, I dunno. Wow, that's surprising. Guess I don't pay that much attention to detail."

"Guess not. You _did _steal my table."

Ellie blushed, tapping her fingers on her coffee mug. "Oh. Sorry."

Riley waved it off. "I'm only joking. So, what brought you here anyway, Ellie?"

"I wanted coffee?"

"I meant what _really _brought you here? People either come here to do homework or study...or when they have a really bad day. Like you said."

Ellie sighed and took a sip of the coffee. "Oh, that. I just had a fight with Joel."

"Your boyfriend?"

Ellie snorted. "Hardly. Adoptive father."

Riley gave an embarrassed grin. "Oh. Don't worry about it, I'm sure he'll come around. My mom and I had the biggest fight two weeks ago, but it's all good now."

Ellie shrugged. "I guess. I'm kind of sad about it though. Well, more frustrated."

Riley nodded. "Yeah...hey, I've seen you before. You work in the video game store, right?"

"Yeah. Not too much business there, so I usually spend most of the time checking the used and rental games to see if they're in working order and stuff."

"Seriously? You get payed to play video games? Damn, I need get a job there."

"God, I end up playing the worst games, though. This one time..."

After launching into stories and debates and chatting about random topics, there was a small silence.

"What was it about?" Ellie spoke.

"Huh?"

Ellie gestured to the other girl. "The fight with your mom?"

"It was stupid. She wanted me to try out for the school mascot - it's kind of a family tradition or something - and I didn't want to do it. It escalated pretty fast."

Ellie raised an eyebrow. "Your mom wanted you to jump around in a bug costume?"

Riley laughed, twirling a spoon in her coffee. "Yup. Strange family legacy, I know. What about your fight with Joe?"

"Joel. Swim lessons, but it was more than that. We've been getting more distant since my adoptive sister died. I said some pretty terrible stuff." Ellie ran a hand through her hair, pushing her bangs back. "We both said some pretty bad stuff."

"I'm sorry." Riley said, and Ellie looked up to see her sincerity. "I get it. Really, I do. My relationship with my mom went to hell after my dad left. We could end up ignoring each other for weeks on end."

Ellie groaned. "What do I do...how do I fix this?"

"I don't know. That's something you have to figure out...but talking helps. I mean, actually _talking. _Listen to each other - what's funny?"

"Nothing." Ellie laughed. "I'm asking a random girl I met, like, 3 minutes ago, on life advice...you probably know more about my family than anyone I know."

Riley gave her a small smile. "Yeah...funny."

"What's wrong?"

This time it was Riley's turn to shake her head. "Nothing. Just thinking. How do two people meet by accident and hit it off so well in so little time? It's like fate."

"Philosophical, are we?"

"What if we were like, sisters, in an alternate universe?"

"You're really weird." Ellie said. There was a pause, then, "Badass sisters who fought monsters."

"Zombies."

"Saved each other's butts"

"Surviving in a post-apocalyptic world."

"What if they were diseased zombies and you and I were the only ones immune?"

Riley laughed. "I am most definitely not immune. I go out for ten seconds and I'm sick at home with the flu."

"Ha! Haven't gotten sicker than a cold in my life!"

"Knock on wood."

The two chuckled a bit as Ellie noticed the custodial staff start to mop up the floors. They were the only two left. "Wow. It's pretty late."

Riley turned to the window, which showed an evening sky and the bustling streets of the warm afternoon fading away as people hurried home when the Boston air got cold. "I should probably head back. I told my mom I was going to grab a quick coffee and work on an English essay."

Ellie snorted. "How far did you get on that?"

"I'm blaming you."

"Hey mom, a random girl sat down and we consoled each other on our problems for two hours. Nice excuse."

Riley shrugged, packing up her things. She picked up a pen. "Give me your hand." Ellie watched her scrawl out a few numbers.

"Wow. Classic rom-com movie."

"Shut up. I'll see you around." She threw her bag over her shoulder and walked out the door.

The custodian motioned his head toward her retreating figure. "I give it two months."

"Until what?"

"She falls for you."

Ellie grinned, looking at the number on her hand. "Good to know."

And somewhere in an alternate universe, two girls very similar to the ones in this story fight zombies in a post-apocalyptic world.


End file.
